Portable beach dressing-room



E. 0. HGDON AND A. l. COLEMAN.

PORTABLE BEACH DRESSING Room,

v APPLICATION FILED SEPT11|`9|l 1 ,3 15,497 'Patented Sept. 9, 1919.

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`E. 0. HIGDON AND A.1. COLEMAN.

PDRABLE BEACH DRESSING ROOM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. H. 19H.

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E. 0. HIGDON AND A. l. COLEMAN.

PORTABLE BEACH DRESSING ROOM.

APPLICATION mm SEPT. I7. |911.-

Patented Sept. 9, 1919.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

EDDIE O. I-IIGDON AND ALLAN J'. COLEMAN, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PORTABLE BEACH DRESSING-ROOM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

I Patented Sept. 9, 1919.

' Application filed September 17, 1917. Serial No. 191,662.

To all wlw/m t may concern:

Be it known that we, EDDIE O. HIGDoN and ALLAN J. COLEMAN, citizens of the United States, and residents of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Beach Dressing- Rooms; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a novel portable, collapsible beach dressing room for bathers, and the object of the invention is to produce a device of this character which, when set up on the beach, provides a commodious dressing room, and which may be collapsed to produce a light compact package that may be readily carried by hand, in an automobile, or otherwise.

The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of the parts shown in the drawings and described in the specification,l

and is pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings n Figure l is a perspective view of a portable dressing room embodying our invention, with the front partially open.

a Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the skeleton frame and the floor mat, showing a stool,`

which it is convenient to use in therewith.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the floor mat.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse section on the line 4f-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a. perspective fragmentary, broken view of one of the corner posts of the frame.

Fig. 6 is a perspective fragment of one of the top rails of the frame.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the upper portion of the room, showing clothes hanging means.

connection Fig. 8 is a view, developed in a flat plane,r

of the flexible walls of the room and three of the upper rails ofthe frame.

Fig.v 9 is an enlarged section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the elements of the structure when knocked down and ready tobe rolled into a bundle.

Fig. 11 illustrates the rolled bundle.

The Lframe of the dressing room comprises four corner posts, each designated by the numeral 10, and said corner posts, for convenience of packing or assembling the same in the bundle shown in Fig. 11, are made of two or more separate elements that are connected end to end by suitable separable joints, consisting, in the present instance, of a ferrule 11 attached to one inember and into which the other member is seated (Figs. 2 and 5). The lower members of the posts are sharpened or pointed at 12 so that they may be readily forced intor the sand a suiicient distance to anchor the structure. The posts are connected at their upper ends by side rails 111 and front and rear rails 15, 16 respectively. Said rails extend from post to post and may be connected at their ends to the tops of the posts in any suitable manner which permits them to be readily detached from the posts. As herein shown the ends of said rails are cut away to produce Hat tongues 17 (Fig. 6) which are pierced to provide apertures 18 that fit over dowel pins 19 that are driven into and extend above the ends of the upper members of the posts. In order that the posts may not be split by driving the dowels thereinto the ends of the posts are embraced by metal ferrules 20. Any other suitable means for effecting such readily separable connection between the posts and rails may be employed.

22 designates a floor mat which constitutes the floor of the dressing room. It may be made of any suitable flexible material, such Vas canvas, oil cloth or the like. VIn order that the corner posts may be properly spaced with respect to each other and to the floor mat, the said floor mat is provided at the corners thereof with openings through` which the corner posts extend, and these openings are preferably reinforced by metal eyelets or gromets 24:. y

The upright walls of the dressing room are formed of flexible or foldable material, a

the side walls and 28, 28 designate sections or fiaps which, when brought together in overlapping relation, constitute the front wall of the room. The several wall sections of the one piece fabric are indicated in FiO'. 8 b y dotted indicating lines.

The said front wall of the room is preferably suspended from the front top rail 15 by means which permit the upper edges of the flaps, constituting said wall, to be detached from the said rail 15. As herein shown, the upper edges of the front wall flaps are provided with open hooks 30 which hook over the front rail 15. The flaps QS of the front wall overlap each other in the manner indicated by the full and dotted lines in Fig. 1, and one of said flaps is provided with a series of eyes 31 to receive hooks 82 on the other fiap. These hooks are preferably located on both the inner and outer sides of said front wall. By forming the front wall of the two flap portions in the manner described a person may enter the room by throwing said tiaps aside and 'thereafter completely close the room by engaging` the hooks 32 with the eyes 31. l

Inside the room there is provided hangers 35 for articles of clothing. These hangers are conveniently formed of a single length of rope or cord that is looped at 36 to hook over the dowels 19 at the upper ends of the corner posts, and said cords are suiciently slack between said dowels to provide ample and convenient hanging or suspending means for articles of clothinO'.

1f desired the room may be covered by a top wall or canopy which may be made of fabric of the same character as the inclosing walls. Preferably, and as herein shown, the said roof covering` or canopy is made of a. width in one dimension equal to the front and rear width of the room and of a length in the other dimension to form end flaps 3S which overlap the upper margins or end portions of the side walls, and said fiaps may be attached thereto by hooks and eyes designated at 39.

1n order to support the room, when erected, against wind pressure, a guy rope a0 may be provided which is anchored at one end to the ground by an anchor pin a1 and at its other end to any two adjacent posts of the room, depending upon the direction from which the wind is blowing. Tn the present instance the guy roge is of the sliding type, embracing a loop 112 which is provided at its, ends with eyes 13 to engage over the dowel pins 19 of two adjacent posts, and the central portion of this loop is engaged by an eye a4 formed in the straight member -10 of the guy rope. This sliding arrangement of the guy rope permits the anchor pin 41 to be set at the required angle to brace the structure, depending upon the direction of the wind.

A stool Ll5, preferably of a collapsible form, will usually beprovided for the con venience of the occupant.

1n erecting the room, the floor mat is first placed on the sand and the lower members of the four corner posts 10 are inserted through the eyelets 24 at the corners of said mat and forced into the sand a sufficient distance to give proper anchorage. rThereafter the upper post members are set in the ferrules 11. Thereafter the front top rail is applied to the dowels of upper ends of the front posts, the apertures 18 being engaged over the dowel pins 19. rThereafter the rear and side top rails, to which the wall fabric is permanently attached, are fitted over the dowels 19 of the other posts to constitute the top rectangular frame. The fitting of the rear and side rails to the posts automatically places the fabric walls for the rear and sides of the room. Thereafter the flaps 2S, constituting the front walls, are brought forward across the front of the room and the hooks 30 are engaged over the front top rail '15. The clothes hanging cord 35 is then looped over the dowel pins 19. Thereafter, if the top wall or canopy 37 be used, it is applied over the open top of the room and the end iiaps 38 are laid over the upper end margins of the side walls and are connected thereto by the hooks and eyes 39.

The room is now ready for occupancy and may be entered by throwing aside the flaps 28, constituting the front wall. After entering the room the person using it may close the front wall by engaging the hooks and eyes 31, 32 at the inner side of said wall, or said flaps may be closed by the similar hooks and eyes at the outer side of said wall.

In demounting or knocking, down the room the hooks 30 of the front wall flaps are first detached from the front top rail 15 and the front wall flaps are folded back over the side flaps. Thereafter, beginning at the left hand corner post, for instance, the left hand top rail is detached from the adjacent front post and said side rail is swung backwardly on the dowel pin 19 at its other end as a. pivot against and parallel to the rear rail, carrying with it one of the front wall flaps and the comiected side wall. Thereafter the last mentioned endV of the side rail 111 and the adjacent end of the rear rail 16 are detached from the associated dowel pin 19 and said rails, together with wall fabrics which are connected thereto, are folded backwardly against and parallel to the secn ond side rail 14. Thereafter the remaining front flap is folded back against the plies or layers of wall fabric thus brought together and the rear top rail 1G and the other side rail is lifted away, or detached from their associated posts. lhen the said top rails 1st and 16 and the fabric Wall members are thus detached the rails are rolled in the overlying layers of wall fabric to produce the roll 46 shown in F ig. 10 of the drawing. Thereafter the posts 10 are pulled from the sand and parted, the members being of equal length, and preferably equal in length to the top rails; and said post members and the front top rail ,14 are assembled in the group 47 shown in said Fig. '10. In assembling and folding the members to produce the final package 48, as shown in F ig. 1l, the loose post members and front top rail are grouped on the side of the package 46. If the stool be used, it is folded and placed alongside said package or roll 46. Preferably these Various elements are laid in the floor mat 22 which, in turn, is laid upon the canopy or top covering 37 and the whole is rolled into the bundle or package 48. After the package has been partially rolled, the end flaps 38 of the canopy top are folded in over the ends of the post and rail members to prevent the same from sliding out of the package. Preferably one edge of the canopy or top fabric is provided With a series of hooks 49 to engage eyes 50 suitably located on the fabric, as indicated in Fig. l1. In order that the bundle thus produced may be conveniently carried, a strap 5l may be attached to the canopy fabric, preferably near one end edge thereof, so that the bundle may be carried `on the shoulder, in the manner of a golf bag.

It is apparent that the structure described possesses all of the necessary conveniences of a permanent dressing room, and at the same time is so constructed that it is capable of being arranged in a very compact bundle or package which may be readily carried.

It will also be obvious that the construction is such that the bundle when rolled is quite light and may be readily carried from place to place and occupy but little room in storage or in a vehicle.

We claim as our invention l. A portable, collapsible dressing room comprising four corner posts adapted to be forced into the ground, four top rails extending between and detachably supported on the upper ends of the posts, and a single piece of foldable fabric permanently secured to three of said top rails and detachably secured to the fourth rail.

2. A portable, collapsible dressing room comprising four corner posts adapted to be tending between and detachably supported on the upper ends of the posts and a single piece of foldable fabric permanently secured to three of said top rails and detachably secured to the fourth rail, the fabric so detachably attached to the fourth rail comprising fia-ps which overlap each other at their margins, with means to fasten said flaps at their overlapping portions.

8. In a portable, collapsible dressing room, the combination of three rails to constitute a portion of the frame of the room, said rails overlapping at their ends, and having means to detachably connect them to the upright posts of a building frame, and a single piece of fabric permanently secured to said rails to constitute three inclosing walls of the room, said fabrics being formed beyond said rails with iap extensions to constitute the fourth wall of the room and having means to detachably se cure said flaps to a fourth top rail of said frame.

4. A portable, collapsible dressing room comprising four upright jointed posts, the sections of which are of equal length, four top rails of the same lengt-h as the sections of said posts, extending between and detachably supported on the upper ends of said posts, a floor mat having openings through which said posts extend to thereby relatively space the posts, a single piece of fabric permanently connected to three of the top rails, with means for detachably connecting it to the fourth top rail, and a canopy top stretched over said rails and of a width to extend between two opposite rails and of a length to extend beyond the other two opposite rails to constitute flaps which overlap the upper margins of two opposed top walls, with means to detachably connect said flaps to said Walls.

In testimony whereof we claim the foregoing as our invention, We hereunto append our signatures in the presence of two Witnesses, at Chicago, Illinois, this 15th day of September, 1917.

Witnesses:

W. L. HALL, Gr. A. SOUTHWELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

